Category: Asia-Pacific
Coverage of geopolitics, international relations, and current affairs from across Asia-Pacific, including China, India, Southeast Asia, and Pacific nations, with a focus on security, trade, and regional diplomacy.
-
The 2026 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue has opened in Singapore, bringing together defence officials and security experts from across Asia, the United States and Europe for discussions on regional and global security challenges. The three-day summit, held from May 29 to May 31 at the Shangri-La Hotel, is regarded as Asia’s leading defence and security forum.…
-
Japan has elevated ties with the Philippines to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” during a state visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., following talks with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo. The upgrade reflects closer Indo-Pacific security cooperation amid rising maritime tensions, with both governments emphasising a rules-based order, defence coordination and economic resilience.…
-
Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to expand cooperation in security, defence, technology sharing and green energy during a visit to Bangkok by To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Speaking alongside Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Lam said both countries would deepen political trust as the basis for long-term bilateral relations amid…
-
North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests involving tactical ballistic missiles, long-range artillery rockets and AI-guided precision cruise missiles, according to state media outlet KCNA. The launches were overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who said the systems had been upgraded to meet the demands of “modern warfare” and improve combat…
-
India increased crude oil imports from Latin America and Africa after disruption to Middle East supplies linked to the Israel-US conflict with Iran and restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, according to trade data and Kpler figures. Indian refiners raised purchases from Venezuela, Brazil, Angola and Nigeria during April and May 2026 while continuing significant…
-
China’s President Xi Jinping and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed their countries’ longstanding “all-weather” strategic partnership during talks in Beijing. Meeting at the Great Hall of the People on Monday (25 May), Xi described the China-Pakistan relationship as an “unbreakable traditional friendship”, while Sharif called the two nations “iron brother” countries. “No matter…
-
Pakistan and China signed two cooperation agreements in Zhejiang Province on Saturday (23 May) as Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif began a four-day visit to China focused on economic, technological and regional cooperation. The agreements were signed during Sharif’s meeting with Wang Hao, Communist Party chief of Zhejiang, in Hangzhou. They include a sister-province partnership…
-
Japan and South Korea have agreed to strengthen bilateral energy co-operation in response to disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz crisis and wider instability in the Middle East. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced plans for joint oil-reserve storage, refined petroleum sharing, and liquefied natural gas (LNG)…
-
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has instructed senior military officials to strengthen frontline units and transform the border with South Korea into an “impregnable fortress”, according to state media. The remarks were delivered during a military meeting reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Monday. Kim also called for faster military modernisation…
-
US President Donald Trump said tensions over Taiwan could escalate into conflict if the island formally pursues independence, following high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. In a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Trump said China could respond “pretty harshly” to any independence move by Taiwan, adding: “With me, I don’t think…
tut0ugh 